For the Love of Bella
by biloxi22
Summary: Bella is cruelly torn from her happy home and family. A wolf spirit helps save her from the darkness she becomes trapped in and leads her back to the place where she belongs.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**This is my first attempt at writing a fan-fiction. I have read so many wonderful stories on this site and have thoroughly enjoyed the talents and creativity that so many of you have shared with us. I will do my best to update regularly. I know from experience what it is like to wait for updates and need to get your fix. All comments and criticisms are welcomed. Here we go...**

The russet wolf ran swiftly through the lush green forest. His paws slapped against the cool earth as he ran. Panting a little from his exertion, he could taste and smell the forest surrounding him. Jacob loved to feel as if he was one with nature. He knew each tree, each plant, and each rock along the path. This was his home.

His peaceful daydream was interrupted by a new scent. He stopped and took a deep breath. There was something about the scent that seemed familiar but it was out of place here in his forest. Jacob gave himself over to his senses and allowed them to lead him to where the scent was coming from. As the scent grew stronger he found himself becoming more and more anxious. He was filled with conflicting emotions-confusion, hope, disbelief, fear. He had an overwhelming need to find what was at the end of his search. Finally he arrived at the spot where the scent was the strongest. His rapidly beating heart almost stopped when he saw the small girl huddled on the ground. A hundred different thoughts swirled through his mind. The most pressing was could it really be her?

He crept closer to the girl who appeared to be sleeping. His senses kept telling him that it had to be her even though his mind knew that it should not be possible. He could not wait any longer-he needed to know-so he walked up to the girl and used his snout to nudge her arm away from her face. As her sweet scent filled his lungs a hopefulness that he had not felt in a long time filled his heart. By some miracle Bella was here in his forest. The happy feelings soon gave way to worry as he took a better look at Bella. She looked so thin, bruised, and battered. He could smell the blood on her clothes. Panicked by the condition of the girl lying in front of him, Jacob nudged her again to try to wake her up. He did not give thought to the panic he might cause her to be awakened by a wolf. She did not respond to his gentle nudges or his worried whine. Jacob knew that he needed to get help as quickly as possible and so he sent a howl into the early evening air.

It did not take long for him to feel his pack brothers joining his mind. Sam, the pack Alpha, was the first wolf to respond. "Jacob-I heard you howl-what is going on?" Jacob shared the image of the battered young girl with Sam and his pack brothers. Immediately he heard several voices commenting the appearance of the poor girl and questions of who she could be. Sam asked Jacob "Do you know who she is?" Jacob responded it's Bella. Those words immediately brought about a stunned silence. Sam recovered quickly from the shock and started giving directions to his pack as a good leader does. "Leah," Sam all but growled, "go find your mother and tell her to have her medical supplies ready." "Jacob try to keep her warm. Paul and I are on our way." With that Sam took off running through the forest as if his very life depended on it.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie Swan thought that he was the luckiest man in the world. He loved the sleepy pacific northwestern town that he lived in. Forks was the ideal location for hunting, fishing, and raising a family. He loved his job as the police chief in Forks. It made him feel good to know that he was protecting his community and providing for his family. His job was a source of pride and accomplishment. He was blessed to have the best friends that a guy could hope for. Billy and Sarah Black, and Harry and Sue Clearwater were more than his friends-they were his family. Charlie loved his beautiful wife Renee. To this day he was still amazed at his good fortune in capturing her heart. But of all the many blessings that Charlie had, to him his greatest treasure was his daughter Bella. From the first moment that he looked into her chocolate brown eyes Bella owned his heart. As she grew a little older and he got to know her sweet disposition, her gentle nature, and her loving heart, it only made it that much easier to love her.

The sound of a slamming door quickly snapped Charlie out of his revelry. He was soon bombarded by a small brown haired missile who nearly knocked him over in her attempt to welcome him home. With her tiny arms wrapped around his legs she beamed up at him and squealed, "Daddy! You're home!" Charlie smiled lovingly at his five year old daughter and said hey pumpkin-did you miss me? Bella looked up at her father and the sincerity shown through her eyes when she told him "I always miss you daddy when you are not here with me. You are my number one guy daddy." Her sweet declaration made his heart swell. He was quite happy to fill the role of number one guy in his daughter's life for as long as she allowed him to be there.

Charlie looked up as he heard the door open again. His breath caught as he looked into the face of his beautiful wife. He took a moment to lean down and kiss her daughter on the top of his head while he freed his legs from the small girls grasp. Then he walked over to where Renee was standing to take her in his arms. He placed gentle kisses on her forehead, her nose, and finally her lips. He looked into her eyes and said hello my sweetheart-did you and Bella have a good day? He felt a little uneasy when he noticed the distant look in her eyes and she did not respond to his question. "Renee", he softly asked, trying to get her attention. Renee shook her head as if to clear away the fog that she had been in and replied " I'm sorry Charlie-what did you ask?" Charlie smiled lovingly at his wife and said I was just asking how my two favorite girls' day went. Renee returned his smile with a small smile of her own and said "it was fine."

That sliver of unease grew a little more by Renee's response. There was something about her words that did not ring true. But Charlie shrugged it away figuring that maybe she was just tired. He knew that Bella's energy was sometimes a little much for his wife to keep up with. He looked at Renee again. What he saw put a small frown on his face. She did look tired. It made him decide that he was right-that exhaustion was all that was wrong with Renee and he allowed the unease that had been building to subside. He would just have to make sure that she got more rest and maybe he could try to help out a little more around the house.

Now that he was convinced that this was the solution he allowed the smile to return to his face. He asked his girls if they were ready to head to La Push to have dinner with the Black family. Bella quickly replied "Oh YES Daddy! Let's go!" Charlie chucked as his little dynamo grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the car. He said-Bella aren't you forgetting something? Bella looked around and noticed that her mother was still standing on the steps. She called back to her mother "Hurry up Mommy! Jacob is waiting for us!"


	3. Chapter 3

Bella flew out of the back seat of the car the moment it stopped in front of the Black's house. Charlie chuckled to his wife "you would think that Bella hadn't seen Jacob in months." Bella was in truth very excited to see Jacob. Sure she loved Embry, Quil, Leah, and little Seth too but of all her La Push friends Jacob was the best. She and Jacob had been attached at the hip from the time they shared a playpen together and aside from her Daddy, Jacob was the most important person in her world.

Bella ran through the Black's front door to the kitchen where she was sure she would find Jake. She didn't see Jacob but she did find Sarah putting the finishing touches on a chocolate cake that would be desert. "Where is Jake?" she asked Sarah. Sarah gave the little girl a warm smile and a big hug. The previously impatient girl took a moment to enjoy the warmth, security, and love contained in Sarah's hugs. Jacob's mom Sarah was so different from her own mother. She was so affectionate, attentive, open, and nurturing. When Bella was with the Black family she truly felt like she was home. Bella returned Sarah's hug with enthusiasm trying hard to show the woman she loved as a second mother how much she cared about her.

The tender moment was intruded upon when Renee walked into the kitchen. Renee felt a little annoyed and jealous to see her daughter hugging Sarah. She had always felt threatened and inadequate when she compared herself to the woman. While Renee was grateful that Sarah was always there to help since she was domestically challenged, Renee was annoyed that Charlie and Bella couldn't seem to stop singing the praises of "Saint" Sarah. Renee did the only thing she could think of to relieve herself of the discomfort of this moment. She broke it up. Renee admonished Bella for bothering Sarah while she was busy. She said to her daughter, "Bella you are always getting in the way. You need to leave Mrs. Black alone so that she can finish what she is trying to do." An embarrassed blush colored Bella's cheeks while her heart sunk at the thought that she was bothering Sarah. It hurt Sarah to see the light dim in Bella's eyes and she was unhappy with Renee for making it happen. It made Sarah sad that Renee never seemed to be aware of what a treasure Bella was. Sarah made an attempt to smooth things over and make Bella feel better by responding to Renee "Be easy Renee. Bella couldn't be a bother if she tried. I love visits from your little angel." She said to Bella "sweetheart I believe you will find Jacob out back in the long house. Please let him know that it is time to come in to get washed up before dinner." Bella gave Sarah a nod and a smile and then flew out the kitchen door to find her Jake.

Jacob was right where his mom said he would be. The small replica long house was built by Billy when his daughters were born. As chief of the Quileute tribe he wanted to share with his children his pride in their heritage and traditions. The long house was his attempt to show his children how their people used to live. The long house was never really popular with his daughters but to his son Jacob it was a magical place. Jacob and his friends had many great adventures where they were the spirit warriors of the Quileute tribe. Jacob was always the chief in these adventures and he even allowed Bella to be an honorary warrior despite Quil's complaints that she would make a better damsel in distress.

When Bella reached the long house she found that Jacob was in the middle of a very important tribal council meeting with "elder Embry" and "elder Quil." Even as a five year old boy Jacob exuded charisma and leadership. Bella became mesmerized by the impassioned speech he was giving to Embry and Quil and forgot the purpose that Sarah had sent her out for. She sat quietly just inside the door of the long house listening as Jacob prepared his council for the upcoming epic battle with the cold ones. There was something about the words cold ones that sent a chill up Bella's spine. This was not the first time in their adventures that Bella had heard him mentions these mysterious monsters. But Bella was not worried. She knew that her daddy was the chief of police and that he and Jacob could protect her from any monsters that came across her path.

Bella was so engrossed in what was happening in front of her that she did not hear Sarah approaching the door of the long house. Sarah's tap on Bella's shoulder made her jump and yelp. Sarah's warm laugh and Bella's yelp brought an end to the boys' adventure. Jacob ran over and hugged Bella. "Bells!" he shouted, "when did you get here?" Sarah smiled at her son and said "I sent her out here 10 minutes ago. I decided to come out and check on her when she failed to return. I was afraid that she had been captured by the Indians." She gave Bella's pink cheek a pat and sent her a wink. Jacob hurriedly said his goodbyes to Embry and Quil. Then he grabbed Bella's hand to drag her to the house. Bella practically had to run to keep up with him. Nothing could slow Jacob down when he was ready to eat.

All too soon the evening had come to an end and the Swans were leaving to go home. Bella gave Jacob a hug and a goodbye. One would think from the expression on her face that it was the last time that she would ever see him. Sadly she followed her parents to the car. As the car drove further and further away from La Push, Bella felt an ache growing in her chest as the warmth that filled her whenever she was in La Push faded away. She was left with a longing and hoped that it would not be too long until they returned.


	4. Chapter 4

While the littlest Swan was sad to be leaving La Push, her mother couldn't be happier to get away from the place she most hated. To Renee La Push represented the destruction of her dreams. She cursed the day that she was talked into visiting the beach in La Push with her friends. Renee, Gloria, and Debbie were in the last weeks of high school and wanted a last great adventure before they all graduated and went their separate ways. They were hot young girls looking for some hot young men and a little excitement. On this impromptu trip, however, Renee found a little more excitement than she had bargained for. She thought back to the day that had been the beginning of her imprisonment in this podunk town.

When Renee, Gloria, and Debbie arrived at First Beach they found a nice spot to set up their towels for sunbathing not too far from the water. Renee was lying on the beach in her sexy bikini drinking fruity drinks when he caught her eye. He was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. Renee had to blink her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. He was tall with beautiful russet skin that was painted over muscles that she was aching to touch. Long black hair framed his gorgeous face that was dominated by sinful dark eyes that smoldered. Renee could only imagine the pleasures that his dark eyes seemed to promise. Apparently the tall dark stranger noticed that he had her attention and sauntered over to her and gave her his sexiest smile. Renee was practically salivating to be in the presence of a man as fine as this one. He made the boys that she went to school with seem much more juvenile and unappealing. When he asked her if she would like to take a dip in the ocean with him to cool off she jumped at the chance.

In the shelter of the water he allowed his hands to roam all over Renee's body. Renee found herself getting hotter and more turned on by the minute. The captivating stranger pulled her tight against his body and his lips devoured hers in the most amazing kiss of her life. The hard protrusion that jutted up against her stomach was proof that he was just as turned on by this encounter as she was. His tongue demanded entrance into her mouth. Renee let out the moan she had been holding in as his tongue dominated hers.

He took her arms and placed them around his neck and then grabbed the backs of her thighs to lift her legs so that they were around his waist. He then walked into a little deeper water to provide better coverage for what he intended to do next. Renee was so caught up in the sensations and pleasure that he was bringing to her body that she was unaware that his hands had moved under her swim suit bottoms until she felt his fingers probe her opening. He pumped her hot sheath with two fingers and then added a third. His fingers made her feel so full and felt so much better than her own fingers ever made her feel. Her head fell back and a lusty moan left her mouth as she felt herself growing closer and closer to going over the edge. The magic fingers suddenly disappeared as the sexy stranger swiftly lined up his hard shaft with her entrance and thrust into her with a growl and a force that she had never felt before. The glorious rapture that he led her to was over all too quickly for her liking. He gave her one more hard kiss before he allowed her body to slide down his own so that she was standing on her own two feet once more. He caressed her cheek before turning away and walking back to the shore where his friends were busily flirting with Renee's friends. Renee thought to herself that the sex god looked just as incredible from behind as he had from the front. She couldn't wait to share the details with her girls.

Six weeks later Renee's sexy remembrances of her beach rendezvous became a nightmare when she discovered that she was pregnant. She returned to La Push desperate to find her sexy stranger to help her fix the predicament she was now in. She searched fruitlessly all over La Push but did not find her man.

She was beginning to feel despondent when she returned to the beach for one final look. As she wandered along the beach aimlessly she noticed a man stealing glances at her. He was standing with two Native American men. Sadly neither of them was the man she was looking for. She took a closer look at the man who was watching her and thought she recognized him from Forks. She seemed to remember that he was a police officer and thought that his name might be Charlie. In her desperation her mind swirled and a plan to solve her problem was formed. She put on her sweetest smile and walked over to the three men. She walked over to Charlie, took his hand into hers, and said "hi handsome. My name is Renee-what's yours?" With one look into her beautiful brown eyes Charlie was caught-hook, line, and sinker.

It was a whirlwind romance which led up to an impromptu wedding when Renee informed Charlie that he was going to be a daddy. News such as this may have sent many men his age running but not Charlie. Charlie saw this as the luckiest day of his life. He could not believe his good fortune to have the beautiful woman in front of him agree to be his wife and to know that they would soon have a child to bless their home was icing on the cake. Renee was grateful that Charlie had helped to solve her problem so easily and even more grateful when Bella was born with skin that seemed to match Renee's own complexion rather than her fathers.

Renee's smug feeling that she had gotten away with her ruse soon gave way to feelings of dissatisfaction with the life she was trapped in. She began to feel a deep resentment towards her daughter Bella for causing her to be trapped in this small town. She could feel her youth and vitality being sucked away. She had big dreams and plans. She knew that she was meant to be something more. She really did not mind being tied to Charlie. He was not a bad looking man and treated her like a queen. But Charlie would never willingly leave Forks and she knew that she would absolutely suffocate if she was trapped here much longer.

The mild scolding she received from Sarah Black earlier this evening was the final straw for Renee. Sarah just could not understand how much of an albatross Bella was for Renee. Renee would have enjoyed informing Sarah just how much of a pain in the ass that Bella was. She could only imagine the outraged expression on Sarah Black's face. But such a confrontation could have hindered Renee's plan to escape so she remained silent and looked appropriately ashamed by Sarah's words.

While Charlie slept that night Renee formulated a plan to make her escape from Forks the next day. Once she had gone over her plans in her head for a final time she fell asleep and enjoyed the best night of sleep that she had had in a very long time.

The next morning Renee gave Sarah a phone call and asked her to watch Bella for her so that she could run a few errands. Sarah was more than happy to watch Bella. She knew that Jacob would be happy with the unexpected visit. After Renee dropped Bella off at the Blacks she hurried home to pack her bags. She left a goodbye note on the bed for Charlie. She stopped by the bank on the way out of town to withdraw most of the money that was in their savings account. Renee believed that Charlie owed her the money for giving him the daughter that he loved so much. She made sure that she followed the speed limit as she drove through town despite her haste to leave it. Being stopped for speeding could really put a crimp in her plans to make an unhindered escape.

As she saw the sign for the town of Forks in her rear view mirror hopefully for the last time, she felt the shackles that had been holding her down fall away. Finally she was on her way to making her dreams come true.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the little bit of delay. I was traveling back to Mississippi after visiting New York for my Grandmother's 90****th**** birthday party. The good news is the plane trip and layovers allowed me a lot of time to write so I will be posting three chapters today. Thank you to all of you who have taken time to read my story and to those who have left me a review.**

Charlie returned home from work to find Renee's car missing and the house quiet. He couldn't remember her telling him that she had plans for the day and wondered where his girls could be. There was no telling with his wife and her capricious nature. He looked in the kitchen to see if Renee had left a note. He grimaced when he was unable to find a note and then headed to the refrigerator to grab a can of beer. He took the can with him to the bedroom to change out of his uniform. He was feeling a little grimy from the day so he decided to take a quick shower while he was at it.

When Charlie walked back to the bedroom after his shower he noticed the note on his bed. He opened the note and the words that he read left him reeling. His mind could not process the words he was reading on the page. He read the note a second time hoping in vain that the words that told him that his wife had let him and shattered his world were not really there. As a feeling of numbness overtook his body, Charlie fell to his knees and let out an anguished cry. He was all alone—all light had been sucked out of his universe. Without Renee and Bella he felt like his life was not worth living anymore. Dark and dangerous thoughts began to toy with his mind.

There is no telling how much time Charlie remained on the floor in that position—prostrate in his grief. The shrill ringing of the telephone disrupted his melancholy. It was only his strong sense of duty that made him pick up the phone. He could not ignore the phone call in case the guys at the station needed him. He was surprised to hear Sarah Black's voice at the other end of the line. Sarah was a little uneasy at the despondent tone in Charlie's voice when he answered the phone. Being the sweet and nurturing person that she was she could not help herself from asking him if everything was ok. There was no response from Charlie and a heavy silence hung in the air. Sarah called Charlie's name a second time which broke him from the fog that he was in.

Charlie said to Sarah, "I'm sorry Sarah for being so distracted—I am having a really bad day. What can I do for you?" It made Sarah's heart hurt to hear Charlie sound so dejected. She figured whatever bad thing had happened must have led to Renee leaving Bella in La Push for so long. Sarah quickly decided that she would do whatever she could to help make things easier for Charlie and Renee. She said to Charlie, "I'm so sorry to hear that you are having a bad day Charlie. I would be happy to keep Bella here overnight with me if it would make things easier for you and Renee." Charlie could not believe what he just heard. His head felt like it was full of cotton as he responded to Sarah with a quiver in his voice "did you just say that Bella is with you?" "Yes Charlie. Renee dropped her off here early this morning" was Sarah's response. Charlie let out the breath that he had been holding and uttered "Oh thank God." The tears freely rolled down his face. Sarah, who had already been feeling uneasy since the beginning of the phone conversation, started to feel panicky. She could tell that something was really wrong at the Swan residence.

Billy noticed the distressed look on his wife's face and moved closer to her to try to find out what was going on. Sarah softly asked Charlie, "Did you think that Bella was missing?" She knew that Renee was quite often flighty and felt terrible to imagine that Charlie had been worried that Bella was lost or something since Renee had apparently forgotten to tell him that Bella was in La Push. Charlie's responded to Sarah's question with a cryptic "I was afraid that she was with Renee." Sarah could not understand why Bella being with her mother would cause Charlie so much panic. Her heart suddenly froze as she feared that something bad had happened to Renee. Her mind started conjuring images of twisted metal, broken glass, and flames. Dreading Charlie's answer, Sarah asked with a shaky voice, "Charlie did something happen to Renee?"

Hearing those words out of his wife's mouth was enough to have Billy running to the door. No matter what was going on at the Swan house, he knew that Charlie needed him. Charlie did not respond to Sarah's question. All Sarah heard on the other end of the phone was the sobs of a man who was devastated by his wife's desertion. Sarah was completely at a loss as to how she could help Charlie. It tore at her heart to hear the sobs of a man as strong as Charlie. Since she still had no idea of what had happened to Renee she had no words to give him to try to soothe his pain. She told him to hang on—that Billy was on his way. She prayed that Billy would be there before much longer and that he would know what to do to help Charlie. With nothing left to say she told Charlie goodbye, hung up the phone, and did the only thing she could do for Charlie in this moment. She took care of his little girl.

Billy made the fastest trip he had ever made to Forks. He didn't even bother knocking on Charlie's door. After a quick search he found his friend on the bedroom floor with Renee's note still clutched in his hand. Billy walked up to Charlie and put his hand on his shoulder. Charlie looked up at Billy and said "she's gone." Billy helped Charlie up and then he engulfed Charlie in a warm hug. Billy could see how much Renee's selfish act had hurt his friend. He had always seen what a selfish person Renee was but had overlooked Renee's personality flaws because she had made his best friend Charlie so happy. Now he wonders if he should have said something when Charlie had become caught up in the whirlwind romance with Renee. He wonders if he should have paid better attention—if there would have been a way that he could have helped to spare Charlie from this grief. Billy knew that the only thing that could help Charlie right now was to see his little girl so he steered Charlie towards the door. Billy said to Charlie "Charlie I am so sorry that you are going through this right now. You and Bella are our family. Please know that Sarah and I are here for you and Bella for whatever you need. Now let's get you to Bella. I am sure she would lie to see her daddy."


	6. Chapter 6

When they arrived at the Black house in La Push, Charlie and Billy found Bella curled up asleep with Jacob on the couch. Sarah said to Charlie "I made up Jacob's room for you and Bella. Please stay with us tonight." Charlie scooped up Bella off of the couch and held on to her as if he was holding on for dear life. Bella let out a small sigh, nuzzled her sweet little face into her father's neck, and murmured I love you Daddy. Charlie felt his first measure of peace since this nightmare he was currently trapped in began. He laid Bella down on Jacob's bed and then joined Billy and Sarah in the kitchen. Sarah asked Charlie if she could get him anything to eat. Charlie replied "no thank you." Sarah reached past her husband to give Charlie a hug. Charlie struggled to keep it together and returned the warm hug. Sarah said to Charlie "Now Charlie—I don't want you to worry about what you will do with Bella when you are at work. I am home every day with Jacob and you know how much I love that little girl and I want her to stay here with me. She helps me immensely by keeping Jacob occupied and you know how much she enjoys being here as well." Charlie let his friends know how much he appreciated them and then took off to bed. As much as he loved and appreciated his friends, he needed some time to himself to process all that had happened today. He gave his sleeping daughter a kiss on the top of her head and then tried to sleep.

In the morning Charlie was greeted by his curious brown eyed pumpkin. "Daddy," her soft voice queried, "what are you doing sleeping with me?" Charlie stroked her cheek gently and gave her a kiss on the nose. "I just wanted to be close to my pumpkin" was his response. She looked around and noticed that they were not home. "Are we at Jacob's" she asked. "Yep" Charlie replied. "Where did Mommy sleep?" she asked. The question came like a punch in the stomach to Charlie. He was at a loss as to how to answer his daughter's question. How did he tell his little girl that her Mommy didn't want them anymore? Bella sensed right away that something was wrong. "Daddy?" she asked. Charlie was unable to stop the tear from forming in his eye. "Daddy," Bella said once again, "where is Mommy?" Charlie hugged his daughter and said "I am so sorry pumpkin. Mommy is not here." His voice trailed off as he became too choked up to say anything else. Bella became alarmed to see her Daddy like this. She squirmed out of his arms and ran from the bedroom. She found Sarah in the kitchen working on breakfast.

"Miss Sarah," Bella cried, "something is wrong with my Daddy." Sarah kneeled down on the floor next to Bella and cupped her tear- streaked face in her hands. She said "Bella your Daddy is just feeling a little sad today. He will be ok." Bella looked into Sarah's soft brown eyes and asked "Do you know where my Mommy is? I asked Daddy but he didn't tell me." Sarah was unsure of what to tell Bella. She did not know what Charlie wanted her to know concerning Renee's departure. She was saved from having to answer that question by Charlie who had followed Bella to the kitchen. "Bella," Charlie said. Bella turned to look at her Dad. "You're Mommy was not happy living here in Forks so she decided to move to a place where she could be happier." Bella replied "Mommy left Forks without us?" Charlie nodded his head and said "yes Pumpkin." Tears welled up in Bella's eyes. She knew it was her fault that her Mommy left. Renee was always telling Bella that she was too loud, too irritating, always in the way. The realization that it was her fault that her Daddy was so sad made Bella need to escape so that she did not have so see the disappointment she was so sure would be in his face. So she ran out the back door. Charlie began to run after her but Sarah stopped him. "Charlie," she said, "Please wait. Give Bella a few minutes to have her cry. She will be safe here in La Push so don't worry about that. Take a few minutes to get yourself together so that you can help her through her emotions." Charlie nodded his head and took a seat at the kitchen table. What have you done to us Renee? He thought while he rested his head in his hands.

Meanwhile Jacob was in the backyard playing with Embry when Bella ran past them with tears in her eyes. Jacob and Embry took a look at each other, put down the toys that they were playing with, and followed Bella into the longhouse. They found her sitting on the floor with her face buried in her knees. She was gasping and sobbing loudly. Jacob and Embry looked at each other once again as if they were silently asking the other what they should do. They bravely approached the crying girl. "Bella what's wrong?" asked Embry. "My Mom left us and it's all my fault" Bella sobbed. Embry and Jacob sat on either side of Bella and each put his arms around her. Embry couldn't fathom how it could be Bella's fault that her mom left. Bella was a sweet girl. Everyone loved her. He could understand how her mom leaving would upset her. Embry never knew his Dad and that made him feel sad when he saw his friends with their dads. Embry said to her "I'm sure it's not your fault Bella." Bella shook her head and said "it is my fault Embry. She told Daddy she left because she was unhappy and she was always unhappy with me." Jacob said, "Don't be sad Bella. It will be ok. I will share my Mommy with you." Bella gave Jacob a small smile and said "thank you Jake." The three of them remained in the longhouse in the shared hug providing comfort for each other until Sarah found them there a short while later. She couldn't feel more proud of Jacob and Embry for trying so hard to make their friend feel better. At this moment she promised herself that they would all pull together to help Charlie and Bella get through this.


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah and Billy Black along with Sue and Harry Clearwater worked hard to help Charlie and Bella recover from Renee's desertion. Charlie and Renee's divorce came through nine months after she took off. As the years passed Charlie seemed to be returning to his former self and Bella was growing into a lovely young girl. Bella spent a lot of time with Sarah and Sue who became her surrogate mothers. They taught Bella how to cook because she wanted to be able to help take care of her Daddy. She had grown up much faster than she should have had to but she did not mind. She loved her father dearly and taking care of him made her happy.

Bella, Jacob, Embry, Quil, and Leah were as close as friends could be. Bella was quite disgruntled to find out that she would not be attending school on the reservation with her friends. She tried to overcome that injustice by spending every moment she could at La push. Summers were the most wonderful times for Bella. They were magical times filled with canoe trips, swimming, endless games and adventures, picnics, bonfires, and campouts with Jacob, Embry, Quil, and Leah. Seth tagged along sometimes but he was too young to go on their more adventurous excursions.

In the summer when she was ten, Bella received a surprise visitor. Renee decided to contact Charlie to arrange a visit with her daughter. The years since she had left Forks had not been kind to Renee. With only a high school education and no work experience Renee was unable to find a job that paid well. She struggled to pay her rent and her other bills with the money she made from her job as a waitress. She did not make a lot of tips since she was not very good at being a waitress. She started to think of solutions to her plight. She missed the luxury of not working and being taken care of. Maybe life as Charlie's wife wasn't so bad after all she thought. She began to think of ways that she could get him back. She thought that Bella was probably the key. If she could convince Bella that she needed her mother then Charlie would take her back. Charlie would do anything for his daughter. With an impassioned plea to Charlie about how much she had changed and how much she missed her daughter, she was able to convince Charlie to allow Bella to spend a week with her in Port Angeles. Bella was really nervous about spending a week with the mother she had not seen in five years but did not want to upset Charlie so she said she would go.

The first part of their visit seemed to go well. Renee fawned over her daughter and she spent the whole time with her. After three days of being together the novelty seemed to be wearing off and Renee felt herself becoming restless once more. After she put Bella down to bed for the night in the small hotel that they were staying in Renee headed out the door for the local bar. While at the bar she ran into a good looking man and accepted his invitation to move the party to a more private place.

When Bella woke up in the morning she looked around the hotel room and found that she was alone. She started feeling a little nervous and wandered if her Mom had decided to leave again. She pulled a book out of her bag and decided to read while she waited for her to come back. Bella finished the whole book and her empty stomach started to rumble. Renee still had not returned. Bella became more convinced that Renee had left her and decided to call her Dad to ask him to come pick her up from the hotel. Charlie was surprised by Bella's phone call. "Hello pumpkin," he said. "Were you calling because you miss your daddy?" Bella replied "I do miss you Daddy, but I was calling to see if you would come pick me up." Charlie asked "What's the matter pumpkin? Are you not enjoying your visit with your Mom?" He started to get a nauseated feeling in his stomach. He had been so unsure about allowing this visit with Renee. Bella replied "well it's been ok but I haven't seen her since I went to bed last night and I am getting hungry and a little bit scared. Do you think she left again Daddy?" Charlie was incensed. He said "you have not seen your mother at all today?" Bella replied "No." Charlie said "I'm on my way baby girl. You stay in the hotel room with the door locked until I get there."

Charlie's heart was racing. He couldn't believe that Renee would leave their daughter in a hotel room by herself. What was he saying? Of course he could believe it. She was the same woman who took off without any concern of how her departure would affect her family years ago. What in the hell had he been thinking in allowing his baby girl to stay with this woman? Apparently he wasn't thinking and now Bella was sitting all alone in a hotel room hungry and frightened. Charlie let his deputies know that he was taking off for the rest of the day because his daughter needed him and took off in a hurry cursing at himself on the way out the door.

When he arrived at the hotel room door, he could hear Renee chastising Bella for calling her father and bothering him. He knocked sharply on the door wanting to get his daughter out of that room and away from Renee as quickly as possible. Renee opened the door and acted surprised to see Charlie on the other side. "Whatever are you doing here Charlie?" she simpered. Charlie was not in the mood to play nice with his ex-wife. "Cut the crap Renee" he said cuttingly. He looked over to Bella who was trembling and had tears running down her cheeks. "Come here pumpkin," Charlie said in a gentle voice. Bella hurried over to her father and threw her arms around his waist. Charlie tenderly wiped the tears from Bella's face and said "I'm so sorry pumpkin." He told her to grab her bag and then he asked her to wait right outside the door. In an icy tone he said to Renee "You will never cause my baby girl to cry again. I will never give you the opportunity to hurt her again. You wanted to be away from us—consider yourself out of our lives permanently." With that he turned and walked out the door.

Renee was angry that Bella had screwed up her life once again. To top it off Renee had spent her rent money on this trip to Port Angeles and had no idea what she was going to do when it came time to pay. She took her anger out on the furnishings of the hotel room. When her fit of rage subsided she took out her map and tried to decide where to go next. She decided to head to Seattle to try her luck there.


	8. Chapter 8

Things settled down to a fairly normal routine for Bella and Charlie following Renee's disastrous visit. Two more years passed and Bella was now 12 years old and on the verge of becoming a teenager. This summer was a little different from the previous summers that Bella spent in La Push. Bella, Leah, and the boys were going through puberty. The changes in their hormones did more than affect their bodies—it was starting to effect the way that they looked at members of the opposite sex. Sue Clearwater (much to Charlie's undying gratitude) sat down with Bella and Leah and explained to them about the changes in their bodies and talked to them about sexual reproduction and safe sex. It was the most uncomfortable discussion that the girls ever had to sit through and they were quite happy to escape when Sue was through.

Leah and Bella were both feeling a little bit flushed and decided that a swim in the ocean to help them cool down was in order. They stopped by Jacob's to see if the boys wanted to join them but found out that they had left a few hours ago for a canoe trip. It looked like it would be a girls day for Leah and Bella. When they got down to the beach Bella noticed a good looking older boy who was fooling around with his friends. His dark eyes sparkled and his lips looked so kissable. Bella was sure that he had the most beautiful body that was ever made. She was stunned by the perfection of this boy. Blushing madly due to her thoughts, Bella whispered to Leah "I think your mother's sex talk has got me all worked up." Leah laughed at her friend who was currently as red as a lobster. "Why do you think that Bella?" Leah asked. Bella did not answer that question but instead asked another of her own. "Do you know who that boy over there is?" Leah looked over in the direction that Bella had indicated. "Which one Bella?" Leah asked. "The boy in the blue and grey swim trunks" Bella replied. "Oh Bella—you can't like him" Leah warned. Bella pouted her lip and asked "why not? He is so handsome. Who is he?" Leah replied "that is Paul Lahote. But Bella he is 15 and much too experienced for you. Couldn't you try liking Embry or Quil? They are both good looking." Bella said to her friend "Of course they are good looking. All of you Quileutes are beautiful. But I don't think of Embry and Quil like that. They are like my brothers. And I noticed that you did not mention Jacob when you told me that I should try liking Embry or Quil. Why is that Leah?" Leah gave Bella a blush of her own. She replied "well I kind of like Jacob myself so I was hoping that maybe you could like one of the other guys instead." Bella looked at Leah and smiled. She said "Wow! You like Jake? It is so easy to see why. He is handsome and so sweet. You don't have to worry about me liking him like that though. Jake is my very best friend and I could never see him as anything else." Leah said "well that is good. He is handsome isn't he?" "Mmmhmmm," Bella agreed.

Bella felt herself getting a little warm so she turned over on her other side. As she rolled over she took another look at the boy who made her pulse race. She looked at Leah and said "I know you said that Paul is too experienced for me but it doesn't hurt to look at him does it?" Leah giggled and replied "no—I suppose it doesn't. Just don't let Quil know that you like Paul. You know what a mess that would be if Quil found out. Bella shuddered at the thought. "Mess," she countered, "more like a disaster!" With that behind them they took a dip in the ocean to cool off and then returned to the beach to dry off in the sun. Bella found her gaze returning to the place that Paul was. She decided that there couldn't possibly be a better view out there.

Meanwhile in Seattle Renee was doing what she could to get by. She found a job working as a cocktail waitress in a night club. One night while on duty Renee met James. Renee was mesmerized by the mysterious stranger. His beauty seemed almost to be unnatural. When she finally caught his attention as she made her rounds at the club she thought she would die from the excitement. She began to fantasize that this was the man who could make her dreams come true. Renee did not want to let this opportunity get away from her so she invited James to come to her apartment with her as soon as the club closed. James smirked to himself that this was the easiest hunting trip that he had ever been on. James put on his sexiest smile and replied to Renee "sure thing baby."

Renee kept looking at her watch for the rest of her shift—willing the time to pass faster so that she could be alone with James. When they arrived at Renee's apartment Renee excused herself for a moment so that she could change out of her uniform. James did not mind Renee taking the time to change because the smell of the food and alcohol which permeated her clothing put a damper on his appetite. As he waited for Renee he saw a box lying on the table near the couch. Looking to ease his boredom he decided to look through the box. In the box he found a picture of a brown eyed girl. He was instantly captivated with the girl in the photo. It looked as if his usual monotonous night of sex and dinner had become extraordinary. There was something about that girl. He had to find her. He wanted her to be his. He began to come up with a plan to use Renee to get to the girl in the photo.

After plying Renee with the best sex of her life, James began to lay the groundwork for getting to the girl. He told Renee that he couldn't believe how cruel fate was. James told her that he had fallen in love with her at first sight and that she was the woman that he always dreamed of finding. Then he told her sadly that as much as he wished they could be together that they would not be able to have a relationship. When Renee asked him why they couldn't be together James responded that he really needed to find a woman with a child. He told her that he had recently discovered that he was unable to have children and that the inheritance he was due to receive in two months when he turned 25 would only be given to him if he was married and had a child. He told her that it was an unkind reality that he had to marry for business instead of for love but that he really did not see any other way. Renee asked James if it mattered how old the child was. James response to that was that it did not matter what the child's age was. It only mattered that he would be able to adopt the child and raise it as his own thus fulfilling the requirements of his inheritance. Renee happily told him that she had a 12 year old daughter named Bella and that they could be a family together. James cringed on the inside to realize that due to the age of the girl he would be stuck with Renee for a few years. Volturi law did not allow the changing of a human before his or her 16th birthday and so he would need Renee to help take care of her until she was old enough to become his mate. James turned on all of his charm and told Renee that he was so happy and that he loved her. He asked her when he could meet Bella so that they could become a family. Renee responded that she could have Bella here in Seattle with them by the end of the week.

After James left Renee with the excuse that he had to get to work, Renee tried to come up with a scheme to get Bella away from Charlie. She knew that after the Port Angeles fiasco that Charlie would never willingly allow Bella to go anywhere with her. She realized that her best shot was to get Bella when he was not around. She figured that when Charlie was at work that Bella probably spent her time in La Push. Renee decided that her first attempt should be to look for Bella there.

Renee believed that luck must be on her side when she found Bella lying on the beach with another girl. She did not see any of Charlie's meddling friends around. She did her best to work up a few tears and then ran over to her daughter. "Bella," she yelled. Bella looked up and saw her mother approaching her. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Bella asked. "Bella I need you to come quickly with me. Your Dad has been in a horrible accident and he is in the hospital in Forks. He asked me to bring you there right away." Bella started to cry. "Will he be ok?" she asked her mother. Renee replied "I'm not sure sweetheart. All I know is that he is hurt really bad and we need to get there as quickly as we can." Bella said "of course Mom, let's go." She turned back to Leah and said "Please tell your mom and Harry bye for me. I'll call you later and let you know how Dad is." Leah gave Bella a quick hug goodbye and then decided to head back to the house to let her mom know about Charlie.

When Renee and Bella got to the car Renee said to Bella, "Bella your face is a mess. Please lean forward so that I can clean it up for you before we get to the hospital." When Bella leaned towards her Renee covered her nose and mouth with a rag that had been dosed in ether. Bella became alarmed and started to struggle but the ether worked quickly and Bella was soon passed out in the front seat of the car. As Renee started the car and drove away she laughed to herself that it was all too easy.


	9. Chapter 9

_**I apologize for taking few days off from writing. I was caught up in a reading frenzy. I devoured Lauren Kate's new book Rapture and JR Ward's book Lover Unleashed and lots of fan fiction this past week. Now that the craving has been sated (somewhat) I will be a good girl and get back to writing and posting.**_

Leah burst into the house calling for her mom as soon as she entered the door. She got no reply. She did a quick search for her mom and found a note which told her and Bella that there had been an emergency at the clinic and that she was called in to help. The note told them that she had dropped Seth off with Mrs. Black and that they were to head over there when they were done at the beach. Leah decided to head over to the Black's to let them know about Charlie's accident since she could not reach her mom or dad.

When she got to the Black's house she noticed that Jacob, Quil, and Embry had returned from their trip. She greeted Jacob and asked him where his mom was. Jacob told her that she and Seth had just run to the store to pick up a few items since she would be having extra guests for dinner. Jacob noticed that Leah looked agitated and asked her what was wrong. Leah told the boys that Charlie was in a bad accident and that Bella had left to see her dad at the hospital. The boys were very unhappy to hear that things sounded grim for Bella's dad. Jacob was very worried for his best friend. Bella had already lost her mother for all intent and purposes. The thought that she could lose her father as well was too terrible to consider. He hated thinking of Bella all alone at the hospital. He knew that his mom and dad would want to know what was going on so that they could be at the hospital for Charlie and Bella. Jacob made the decision to call his dad at work.

When his dad answered Jacob wailed "Dad you need to get to the hospital in Forks right away!" Billy was overcome by a sense of dread when he heard the panic in Jacob's voice. He asked Jacob "What's the matter son? Did something happen to one of your sisters or mother?" "No," Jacob answered, "It's Charlie Dad. He has been in a bad accident and Bella is at the hospital all by herself. She has to be so scared Dad. Please go over there so that she is not all alone." Billy could hear Jacob's sobs and they cut right through him. His son's sadness and his own worry that his best friend Charlie was seriously injured brought tears to his own eyes. He tried to comprehend what Jacob had told him. He did not understand why Bella was at the hospital all by herself. He could not imagine that Sue Clearwater would leave Bella alone there under those circumstances. Something was not adding up so he asked Jacob "Son, how did Bella get to the hospital?" Jacob replied "I don't know let me ask Leah." Jacob turned to Leah and asked "how did Bella get to the hospital?" Leah responded "her mom took her." Billy gasped "Jacob please put Leah on the phone."

Leah picked up the phone and said "you wanted to talk to me Mr. Black?" Billy responded "Leah can you tell me how you found out about Charlie's accident?" Leah said "Sure. Bella and I were at the beach. Bella's mom showed up and told us that Charlie was in a bad accident and that he wanted Bella's mom to take her to the hospital immediately." Billy asked "Leah was your mom around to talk to Bella's mom before Bella left?" Leah replied "No. She was at the house and Bella's mom said that they had to leave right away. I ran home to tell my mom but she had been called in to the clinic so I went to your house to tell your wife but she had run to the store so Jacob decided to call you instead." Billy said "Thank you Leah. It was a smart thing to do to make sure that we knew what happened to Charlie. Please let Jacob know that I will make sure that Bella is taken care of so that he can stop worrying."

As soon as the call ended Billy picked up the phone and dialed the Forks police station to see if they knew what was going on with Charlie. A moment of relief spread through Billy when he heard his friend's voice on the other end of the line. That was quickly nullified by the realization that Renee had lied and had taken Bella. When Charlie did not get a response following his initial greeting he tried the greeting again. "Forks Police Station, this is Chief Swan speaking—how can I help you?" "Charlie," Billy said "I think we have a problem." "What's going on Billy?" Charlie asked. Billy replied "Renee has Bella." Fear coursed through Charlie's veins. He retorted "What do you mean Renee has Bella? How in the hell did that happen?" Billy gave Charlie all of the details of the phone call that he had with Jacob and Leah. Charlie asked if Leah had mentioned what kind of car Renee was driving to which Billy sadly replied "No."

Panic and a sense of desperation overwhelmed Charlie and he quickly ended the phone call with Billy. Charlie called his deputies into his office to tell them that his daughter had been kidnapped. He initiated a search for Renee and Bella. Charlie knew that with such limited resources in his jurisdiction and even less information to work with the chances of finding Bella quickly was not good. As each hour passed with no sign of Renee or Bella, Charlie became more and more mired in a living nightmare.

Bella's abduction did not just shatter Charlie's world. It was also very painful for Leah and Sue Clearwater who each blamed herself for Bella being taken. It was heart wrenching for Billy, Sarah, and Harry to see Charlie become a shell of the man he once was. They watched as the light faded from Charlie's eyes as the hope of seeing Bella again faded from his heart. Sarah grieved. She felt like she had lost her own daughter. The bond that Bella and Sarah shared was so precious to her. For Quil, Embry, Jacob, and Leah it was difficult to laugh or find fun in the activities that had once brought such joy to their childhood. Bella's absence left Jacob with a gaping hole in his heart. He felt lost without his best friend. Truthfully this sad event could have been enough to tear apart the lives of many people. Mercifully, the strength of character and the bonds of love and friendship endured and they all pulled together to support one another and Charlie. It was the silver lining in the dark storm cloud that Renee had produced.


	10. Chapter 10

When Bella woke up she had a terrible headache and she felt disoriented. She found herself in a place that she did not recognize. As she looked around the room she was startled when her eyes met those of a stranger. She felt enthralled by his piercing gaze. His eyes were unlike any she had ever seen before. The color was so strange. The way he was looking at her made her feel very uneasy. He moved closer to Bella and reached out his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and then caressed her cheek. His icy touch caused shivers to run up Bella's spine. Bella normally loved the loving caresses she received from Sarah, Jacob, and her daddy. But there was something about this stranger's touch that felt so wrong. Bella's breathing became shallow and rapid and her heart started to pound. In a shaky voice she asked "Who are you?"

The stranger replied "I am James and I am going to be your new daddy." With one finger James traced the side of her face from her eyebrow to her chin. He murmured "You are even more beautiful than your picture."

Bella sat there like a deer trapped in the headlights. Her brain was trying to process what this man told her. The words "I am going to be your new daddy" kept running through her mind like they were on a continuous loop. Her thoughts were all over the place. Where was she? Why was she with this man? Why would this man be her new daddy? She didn't want a new daddy she wanted her old one. She suddenly remembered that her daddy had been in a car accident and that her mother was supposed to take her to the hospital. Why weren't they at the hospital? What was happening with her daddy and where was her mother? Bella's anxiety level was getting higher and higher. Without realizing it Bella started to whimper.

The predator in James was savoring the smell of fear that was emanating from the adrenaline that was running through the young girl in front of him. He took Bella's fear as a sign of respect for the demon that he was. He loved that he made her feel this way and knew that it was a good sign for their future. Her fear would help to keep her in line once she became his mate. He wanted to bask in this feeling, however, for now he had a role to play. A good "daddy" would help ease his child's distress. So James reigned in his inner demon and leaned in closer to Bella. He pulled the trembling girl into his chest and inhaled her intoxicating scent. He spoke in a soft voice to Bella. "Shhhh…. Calm down little one. I mean you no harm." The words and the actions that were meant to soothe Bella had the opposite effect on her. His words did not ring true. His touch made her skin crawl. Bella was paralyzed by fear. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible but she could not make her body move.

At that moment Renee entered the room. A feeling of bitter jealousy flared up when she saw that James was hugging Bella. She buried that feeling and put a smile on her face and said "James, I see that you have met Bella."

James replied "Yes darling. I can tell that Bella and I are going to get along just fine." He took the opportunity to place a kiss on the top of Bella's head. Renee's appearance broke Bella out of the stupor she seemed to be in. She pulled herself away from James and moved towards her mother. "Mom," Bella whimpered, "How is my daddy? Why aren't we at the hospital?"

Renee replied "Well we were at the hospital Bella but you could not control yourself as usual. You were being overly emotional and created a scene. The doctor had to give you a sedative to calm you down. Then the doctor told me that I needed to get you away from the hospital before you caused Charlie further harm. Charlie's condition is very serious and the doctor said that he had to have total calm if he had a chance to recover. He told me that I had to keep you away from Charlie until further notice because you would be a danger to him. That is why I brought you here to stay with me and James. We are getting married soon. He is such a generous man to allow you to stay here with us. I expect you to show him your appreciation and for you to follow the rules that we set for you without causing any problems. Do you understand what I am saying Isabella?"

"Yes Mom." Bella replied.

"Good." Renee responded, "Now get into the bathroom and get cleaned up and changed and then come meet us in the living room. I have some chores to assign you. You will not be allowed to play here all day like you do back home. You will be expected to earn your keep here." With that Renee and James left the room.

Bella went into the bathroom to take a shower. Tears ran down Bella's face. She wanted to be home with her Daddy. She missed him so much. She tried to recall how he had looked when they went to see him at the hospital but she could not. She couldn't seem to remember the visit to the hospital at all. She felt such shame that she had caused so many problems and she could have made Charlie even sicker. As she stepped under the spray of the shower head she closed her eyes tightly and prayed that when she opened them she would discover that this had all been a bad dream.

As the weeks went by Bella discovered that she had not been dreaming. This was her new reality. Bella kept busy with the chores that Renee assigned her around the house. She was pretty much responsible for all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. She was not allowed to leave the house. Renee told her that they did not live in the safest neighborhood and that she had to remain inside at all times with the door locked. She was never left alone—either Renee or James would be home with her. In spite of their company Bella had never felt more alone in her life. She felt trapped in this house. She longed to be away from the constant surveillance of James eyes and from Renee's scorn. She would try to ask Renee how Charlie was doing but Renee would never give her any information about her dad. Every night before she went to bed she prayed that the next day would be the one where Charlie had recovered and would bring her home to live with him. She dreamed of Charlie and her family and friends at La Push. She longed for the warmth, the light, the love that was home. Every morning she woke up with tears on her face when she realized that her prayers remain unanswered.

On this particular morning Bella noticed how quiet it was in the house. She looked around but did not find anyone at home with her. She went to the living room where the phone was. She really wanted to know how her dad was doing. Her heart started to flutter as she considered picking up the phone to make a phone call. Renee had told her that she was not allowed to use the phone. She really needed to know how Charlie was though so she decided to make a phone call to the Black's. She could hear the phone ringing and was mentally saying come on-please someone pick up, pick up, pick up. She was disappointed when she only got the answering machine. She decided to leave a message. After the beep she said in a shaky voice "Hello, Sarah, Billy this is Bella. I was calling because I really wanted to know how my dad was doing. I really miss him and all of you so much. Please tell him that I want to come home. Tell him that I promise I will be a good girl and that I won't cause him any trouble. Tell him that I can cook and clean for him and that I will be calm at all times and won't ask him for anything. Please, _please_ **please** let me come home…." Bella's words were cut off by Renee who had just walked into the living room.

"Bella what are you doing," she roared. "Put down that phone at once!" She snatched the phone out of Bella's hand and struck her hard across the face. "I told you that you were never allowed to use the phone. Who were you trying to call?"

Bella sobbed loudly "I just wanted to find out how my daddy was doing. I tried to call the Black's but they were not home so I left them a message. Why can't you please just let me know how my dad is doing?"

Renee screeched "Get to your room you unappreciative brat. You will be punished for breaking the rules after I have had a chance to talk to James about what your punishment should be. Get out of my sight now!"

Bella ran to her room and threw herself on the bed. She was terrified what Renee and James would do to her but she was even more upset that her chance to talk to someone back home and to get help was not successful. She cried herself to sleep.

When Sarah Black came home from running her errands she noticed a message on the answering machine. When she played the message she was shocked to hear Bella's voice on the taped message. Tears ran to her eyes when she heard the message and how despondent Bella sounded. She immediately called Charlie and told him that she had received a message from Bella. Charlie told her that he would be right over. Once Charlie arrived she played the message for him. Like it had for Sarah, hearing Bella's voice made Charlie cry. The fact that she believed that he might not want her home with him or would find her to be a burden broke his heart. He wondered what Renee could be doing to Bella to make her sound so forlorn. As bleak as the message was it gave Charlie hope. This phone call was the first potential clue that he had in months. He would see if he could look into the Black's phone records to find out where the call originated from. He might finally have an idea as to what Bella's location was which could help him to find her. Charlie gave Sarah a big hug and then headed out the door for the station.

When James returned home Renee told him about Bella's phone call. James became enraged because he knew that Bella's father was a policeman and that the phone call could help lead him here. He was not going to lose his mate after all the work it had taken to find her. He told Renee that they were going to have to move to a more remote location and then instructed her on what she needed to tell Bella so that something like this would not happen again.

Renee walked into Bella's room and shook her to wake her up. She said to her "Well I hope you are happy with yourself. I just received a phone call from the hospital. It seems as though your little message to the Black's was delivered to Charlie and the stress from hearing the message killed him. James and I were discussing what your punishment should be when we got the call. We decided that there could be no punishment worse than knowing that you are responsible for your father's death."

Bella screamed "No!" She pulled at her hair and her body was racked with sobs. Renee retorted "I don't know why you are carrying on this way—you have no one to blame but yourself." With that Renee turned and walked out of the room. Problem solved she smiled to herself.

Renee and James quickly packed their belongings. They knew it would not take long for Charlie to find this location due to Bella's screw up. Renee left a letter for Charlie to find. She didn't want to have to keep running from him forever so she decided it was time to set him straight.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A major project at work has kept me from being able to post. Thankfully the project is completed. I will be posting another chapter this evening. Thank you all for your patience.**_

By the time that Charlie found the house in Seattle that Renee and Bella had been living in, they were long gone. He and some detectives from one of the precincts in Seattle went over the entire house looking for possible leads to their new destination. All they found was the letter that Renee had left for Charlie to find. Charlie thanked the detectives who had come out to help him and left Seattle with the unopened letter and a heavy heart. He had really hoped that he would be returning to Forks with Bella.

As he drove back to Forks he battled with himself over whether or not he should even bother to read the letter. Charlie's first instinct was to rip the letter up. He did not want to give Renee the satisfaction of reading what she had to say. He was sure that the letter was probably her way of gloating that he had failed in his attempt to get Bella back and knew that her venomous words would only serve the purpose of hurting him further. Nevertheless the slim hope that there might be a clue in the letter that would help him to find Bella made him decide to open it. As soon as he pulled up to the front of his house he turned off the car and opened the letter with trembling fingers. As he read her malicious letter he wondered if he had ever really known her at all. The letter said:

_Charlie,_

_You have left me no choice but to tell you this. You really need to stop chasing after Bella. You have no right to her since she does not belong to you. You see Charlie; you are not Bella's father. Bella's father is a man by the name of Josh Uley. He is Quileute. When I met him in La Push I had no idea that he was already married. So when I found out that I was pregnant with Bella I panicked. Then I saw you in La Push and the solution to my problem was found. You should consider the years that you got to spend with Bella as my thank you gift for helping me out. I am sorry to be if you fell that taking back what is mine is cruel but I have let you borrow Bella long enough. She needs to be with her family now and that just does not include you. Renee_

Charlie sat in his car in a stupor. The words "You are not Bella's father" kept running through his mind. It was like he was trapped in an episode on the Maury Povich show. He wanted to simply dismiss Renee's claims because he knew she was not the type of person to be trusted. She was a manipulator and a liar. But as he thought back to their whirlwind courtship he had a sick feeling in his gut that she could be telling the truth this time. Charlie shook himself out of his daze and forced himself to become focused. Renee was a fool if she thought that he would give up on finding Bella so easily. He knew who Bella's real family was. He did not need a DNA test to tell him that. He would move heaven and hell to get Bella back home to where she belonged. He decided to head over to La Push to let Billy and Harry know how the trip to Seattle went and to find out if they knew anything about what Renee had written about in her letter.

Strangely enough, back in La Push, the tribal elders were already dealing with another paternity question. Sam Uley, the alpha of the Quileute wolf pack, asked Billy to call a council meeting to discuss the newest wolf who phased. Embry Call just became the 4th boy in La Push to phase into a wolf which was surprising to Sam because Embry was Makah and it was believed that only the Quileute's were shape shifters. Everyone knew who Embry's mother was so that only left the question as to who his dad was. Sam asked Billy if the council knew who Embry's father was. Billy looked over to Harry and Quil Sr. The men communicated with only their eyes and a barely perceptible nod of their heads. After an uncomfortable silence, Billy addressed Sam's question. "I hate that you have to find out this way Sam but Embry is your half-brother."

Of all the things that Sam expected to hear this was not one of them. He laughed bitterly to himself. He had no idea why he should be surprised. He knew what kind of man his father was. He probably had countless brothers and sisters out there that he did not know about. Still the fact that Embry was his brother and no one had told him about it did surprise him. Sam asked Billy "Why didn't anyone bother to let me know before this that I had a brother?" Sam had grown up as an only child and had always longed for a bigger family. It was the one part about being a wolf that Sam had welcomed. He loved the brotherhood—the family that being part of the pack offered. When his mother had died 2 years ago he had been left feeling so alone in this world. The wolf pack and his beloved Emily had helped to heal that ache in his heart. He was a little angry about the years that he had lost where he could have gotten to know his brother. His increasing anger caused him to start to shake.

Billy noticed that the alpha was dangerously close to phasing inside the house and made an effort to calm him down. He used his most authoritative voice as the chief of the tribe and said "Sam you need to get it together now before you accidentally hurt someone." This was enough to help Sam regain his focus and to look into the eyes of the elders in front of him and ask his question again. "Why wasn't I told that I had a brother?"

Billy responded "It was my decision not to say anything. By the time I found out about your connection to Embry, your mother was quite ill. She had already suffered so much in the time she was married to your father and I did not want to add to her suffering. I believe it was the right decision to keep the secret while she was still alive but I should have told you after she died. I made a mistake. Please forgive me Sam."

Sam looked into Billy's eyes. He could see the sincerity in the old man's remorse. He would let the anger go and move on and get to know his brother. Sam asked Billy "Does Embry know that we are brothers?"

Billy responded "No. I do not believe that his mother has told him anything about his father." Sam looked at the members of the council and avowed "I am going to let him know that we are brothers. I am not asking for your permission. He has a right to know." Any response that Billy would have given to Sam was interrupted by a sharp rap on the front door. Charlie did not wait for a member of the Black household to open the door to let him in. He was a man on a mission—he needed answers—so he let himself in. He was so caught up in his own drama that Charlie failed to notice the other guests in Billy's living room. He had no idea that he was interrupting a meeting of the tribal elders. He vaguely noticed that Harry was present but other than that Billy was the only person he could see. Charlie simply blurted out "Billy I need your help with something."

Billy could see how agitated Charlie was and did not have the heart to ask him to come back later. Billy asked "How can I help you Charlie? Did you have any luck in Seattle with finding Bella?"

Charlie shook his head sadly and replied "They were already gone by the time we got there. Rene did leave me a letter though and that is why I am here. Her letter makes a claim that I don't want to believe…." Charlie temporarily found himself lost in the stupor again and did not finish his statement.

Billy asked "What did Renee claim Charlie?"

Charlie could not look at his friend because he was afraid what he might see in Billy's face if he did. He looked at a spot on the floor in front of him and said "Renee says that I am not Bella's father. She says that Bella's father is a Quileute named Josh Uley." A sharp intake of breath followed by the expletive "Fuck!" drew Charlie's attention to the young man on the other side of the room. He was visibly shaking. The young man said to Billy "I'm sorry but I have to go." The young man took off without waiting for a response from Billy.

Charlie looked around the room sheepishly. He could not believe that he had just blurted out something so personal in front of a room filled with people. How did he not notice that Billy had company? His gaze returned to Billy. He was somewhat relieved to see that Billy looked as surprised by his news as he was. He said to Billy "Billy I am so sorry. I did not realize that you had company and that I was intruding. I am so sorry for upsetting that young man. Who is he? I will go find him and apologize to him and I will talk to you later about this."

Billy replied "That was Sam Uley. Josh is his father."

Charlie dropped to the couch and put his head in his hands. Quil Sr. and the other council members quietly got up and left. For all intent and purposes their council meeting was over. Charlie muttered to himself "What have I done? I didn't mean to upset him. I don't even know if it is true." Harry moved over to sit next to Charlie and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. He spoke gently to his friend. "Charlie, Sam had already received some news tonight that upset him. Please do not blame yourself for the state that he was in when he left."

In a quiet voice Charlie asked "Do you think it is true? Do you think this Josh Uley could be Bella's father?"

Harry replied "I don't know Charlie. The only thing that I do know is that Renee was being truthful when she told you that she had been with Josh Uley. I had seen them together here at beach before you and Renee had gotten together. I am pretty sure that sex was involved in that encounter based on what I observed and Josh had told us afterwards. It never occurred to me that anyone other than you could be Bella's dad though. You and Renee seemed so much in love. I put that entire episode with her and Josh out of my mind until now." The truth was Harry was a little uneasy back when Charlie first got together with Renee. She had always seemed like a bit of a tramp and Harry thought that Charlie could do so much better than Renee. But Charlie was like a brother to him and if Charlie loved Renee then he was going to do his best to get along with her for him. He wonders now if he had been honest with Charlie about his misgivings with Renee back then if he could have saved his friend from this heartache.

Billy came to sit on the other side of Charlie. He said to Charlie "In every way that counts you are Bella's father. That little girl loves you and nothing will ever change that."

"And nothing will ever change the way I love Bella either, "Charlie declared. "Does Renee honestly believe that all the love that I have for Bella will just disappear if I find out that we do not share DNA? Renee will be sadly disappointed because I will never stop looking for my daughter until my dying breath." Billy said a silent prayer that Bella would be back with them much sooner than that.


	12. Chapter 12

After tearing through the forest for a good hour or two to release some frustration, Sam phased back to human. He headed home to Emily. He needed to talk things through with the woman who was the center of his world and his biggest supporter before taking on the task of finding Embry and breaking the news to him. He found Emily at home in the kitchen and shared with her the news that he had a brother and a sister that he never knew about. Emily held Sam as he shared his anger with her at the man who had treated his marriage vows with so little respect. He shared his fears that Embry would not welcome a relationship with him and that he may never meet his sister who had been kidnapped from the only home and father she had ever known. He shared his hopes that one day his siblings and Emily would be able to live as the happy family that he had always dreamed of.

It did not take long for Sam to feel as if he had regained his calm and decide that he was ready to talk to Embry. He never ceased to be amazed at how soothing being in Emily's presence was to him and his wolf. She was the balm to his soul. He gave his love a tender kiss and then left her in search of Embry. As he walked through the streets of La Push he pondered what he would say to his brother. He noticed Jacob Black coming out of the small grocery shop. From the looks of Jacob Sam knew that it would not be too long before a new wolf would join his pack. He made a mental note to have Jared and Paul keep a close eye on Jacob. He found Embry sitting on a log on the beach. Embry appeared to be deep in thought. Sam felt a little guilty for disturbing him. The responsibilities of being the protectors of the tribe left the wolves with very little time for themselves. Sam took a deep breath and forced his feet to move forward.

"Hey Embry," Sam said. He waited until Embry looked up at him before he continued. Once he was sure that he had Embry's attention he said "Do you have a few minutes to spare so that we can talk?"

"Sure Sam," Embry replied. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well Embry, to be honest with you, I was a little surprised when you phased into a wolf. All of our legends told us that only the Quileute were wolf warriors. Since your mom is Makah I had always believed you to be as well. Do you know anything about your father?"

Embry ducked his head as he became flooded with feelings of shame. In a gruff voice he replied "No Sam. My mother has never told me anything about my father."

Sam responded "That is what I figured. When you phased I began to wonder who your father was. I owe you an apology Embry for invading your privacy. I went to the council elders and asked them if they knew who your father was. It turns out that you are my brother Embry. I am not sure how you feel about that but I would really like to get to know my brother better if you are agreeable."

Sam held his breath waiting for Embry's response. He was starting to get nervous when it seemed to be taking a while for Embry to say anything. Embry shook his head as if to clear the fog out. He looked at Sam and asked "Did you say that we are brothers?"

Sam replied "Yes Embry. My father is also your father."

Embry gave Sam a tentative smile. "I would like to get to know my big brother better. Will it freak you out for me to tell you that I am really kind of excited to find out that I have a brother?"

Sam laughed "No Embry. I feel exactly the same way." He put his hand on Embry's shoulder and said "Emily and I are really excited to welcome you to our family. She was hoping you would come to dinner tonight so that we could all spend some time together."

Embry replied "I would never turn down a meal but I am really happy to get the chance to know you both better as well."

A warm feeling filled Sam. Embry had taken the news much better than he expected. It looked like his dreams of having a family were coming true. His moment of revelry was interrupted by the thought that he had a sister somewhere out there that was in danger. He wondered if he should tell Embry about Bella now or if he should wait. He did not want to overwhelm the boy any more than he probably already had. He decided that he could not be another person in his brother's life to keep information from him and that telling him now would be best. His face took on a more serious expression as he said "Embry when I found out about you at the council meeting today I found out that we have a sister as well."

"A sister huh? I guess Dad got around," Embry chuckled. "Who is our sister Sam?"

"She is a girl who is around your age. Her name is Bella." Sam replied.

"Bella Swan?" Embry asked.

Sam replied, "Yes, the chief's missing daughter. Do you know Bella?"

Embry said "Wow….I can't believe Bella is my sister. I have known her most of my life. She is one of my closest friends. Jake will be so surprised." He wanted to run and find Jake to share the news but then remembered that Sam had given him an alpha order to stay away from Jacob until he phased. His shoulders slumped and his head dropped.

Sam felt bad that he was responsible for Embry being forced to stay away from his friends right now. He hated that the separation was causing Embry so much unhappiness but knew it was necessary for everyone's safety. He kneeled down so that he was face to face with Embry. "I know how hard it has been for you to be away from Jacob and Quil. I hate that I am making you suffer. But you can see what I did to Emily. I will never forgive myself for hurting her and I just can't take the chance that it could happen to someone else. I don't ever want any of you to share that kind of pain with me."

Embry replied "I understand Sam. The hardest part is not being able to explain to them why I have abandoned them. I know they think I have turned my back on them. That is something I never would do but they do not know it."

"Hang in there Embry," Sam interposed. "I saw Jacob earlier today and I can tell it will not be too much longer before he will be joining us. Your friends will understand and forgive you once they join the pack."

"I know Sam. Thanks. So what time do you want me to come over for dinner?"

"Why don't you come over around 5:30? That will give us all a chance to sit and talk before dinner."

"Ok Sam. I will see you later."

Sam gave one last glance back at his brother before he headed home to let Emily know that Embry accepted her dinner invitation. When Sam arrived home he found a visitor waiting for him in his living room. Charlie Swan stood up as soon as Sam walked in the door. Sam asked "Hey Chief Swan what are you doing here?"

Charlie looked like a child who had been called into the principal's office. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and wringed his hands. Sam could hear his Charlie's heart pounding in his chest. Charlie cleared his throat and then responded, "I am here because I owe you an apology for what you had to hear earlier. I don't know how I failed to notice that Billy had company. I would have never blurted out the information about your father in front of others had I been aware. Please forgive me Sam. I just have not been myself since Bella was kidnapped by her mom."

Sam could see the misery in Charlie's eyes. He hurt for the man who was in so much pain. He stepped closer to Charlie and said "You have nothing to apologize for. I can understand that you were surprised by the news and I know that you did not intend to hurt me or embarrass me by asking Billy your questions. I would have wanted answers if I was in your situation as well. I feel like I am the one who should apologize to you for the actions of my father."

Charlie interrupted Sam before he could speak any further. "Sam neither you nor your father owe me any apologies. Renee is the one who manipulated this situation. I have a lot of hate in my heart for the things that she has done to Bella but I will never regret for one moment the opportunity that I had to love Bella and even if she is your sister she will always be my daughter."

"Of course she is Chief Swan. That will never change. I know she will come home. I have full confidence that you will find her and bring her home. I am hoping that you will let me spend some time with you and her when she comes home. I would welcome the opportunity to get to know my sister."

"I know that Bella will be very happy to find out that she has you for a big brother Sam. She was always so happy when she was in La Push. Finding out that she is part Quileute will be like a dream come true for her. If you ever have free time you are always welcome to come visit me in Forks. I would enjoy getting to know you better and I can share some stories about Bella with you. In fact I have heard that you are a pretty good carpenter. There are a lot of things that need fixing at my place. I could put you to work."

Sam replied "I would love that Charlie—both the offer to do some work for you and the chance to get to know you and my sister Bella through you." Sam offered Charlie his hand and was met with a firm handshake from Charlie.

As Charlie walked out the front door Emily entered the living room and took her place at Sam's side. She wrapped her arms around him and placed a small kiss over his heart. Sam pulled Emily even closer to him and buried his face in hair. He silently thanked Taha Aki for the blessing of having Emily in his life. She made all the trials and tribulations of being a wolf worth it. A day that had started out stressful and emotional seemed to be ending on a positive note. For the first time in a long time Sam felt hopeful about the future.


	13. Chapter 13

While the sun was beginning to break through the dark clouds that had blanketed Sam's life, his sister Bella found herself trapped in an isolated, cold, and bleak reality. James had been so enraged when he found out about Bella's call home that his first instinct was to rip Renee apart for her failure to keep Bella in line. The idea of murdering the annoying clingy woman was so appealing to James. The images his imagination conjured up were simply delicious. However, James was able to muster the discipline necessary to curb his blood lust and allow Renee to remain breathing for a little while longer. She was an inconvenient necessity to help look after Bella until she turned 16 and could join him as his mate. He consoled himself with the thought that he would have the satisfaction of draining the life from Renee in a few short years or better yet he would offer her to Bella as her first meal once she joined him as a vampire. Either way he would take great pleasure in the demise of Renee.

In order to solve the current problem that Bella's phone call presented James needed to find an isolated place that he could move his "family." James contacted his old friends Vicki and Laurent to see if they had any recommendations for him. Just a short time later James had his family relocated to an opulent mountain home hidden in a remote area in the Mt. Hood National Forrest. The previous owners of the luxurious dwelling had the misfortune to become the dinner of two hungry nomadic vampires just a few weeks ago. Renee was not too happy by the prospect of living in an isolated part of Northern Oregon but the majestic home and lavish gifts and attention bestowed upon her by James helped to curtail Renee's dissatisfaction. Despite James efforts at times Renee became whiney about needing to return to civilization. When Renee's whining became too much for him he would take Renee out for a weekend getaway to Portland.

There were no such trips for Bella however. James would not risk her being found and taken away from him. So when Renee was plagued by cabin fever he would have his friends Vicki and Laurent come to babysit Bella. Bella hated it when Vicki and Laurent would come and stay with her. She found the woman with the wild red hair and red eyes frightening. James could smell Bella's fear around the pair and tried to ease Bella's anxieties by creating a story of how they met and why they were so different. James told Bella that he, Vicki, and Laurent suffered from a rare blood disorder. They had met while they were involved in a medical study of their disorder. James explained to Bella that the red eyes and cold skin were symptoms of the disorder and that the reason that Vicki acted so strangely was that she had been treated so poorly by others when she was growing up due to those differences. Due to the maltreatment she received, she had shied away from people and did not know how to interact with people in a normal way. Although Bella did feel sorry for Vicki for the way that she had been treated, she was never able to get past the uneasy feeling she had around her. To Bella Vicki seemed more animalistic than human. So when she was left in Vicki's care, Bella found herself trying to stay out of the woman's way and counting down the minutes until Renee would return so that Vicki and Laurent could return to their own home.

Unlike Renee, however, Bella never complained about her situation. In the whole time since they arrived in Oregon Bella had only complained once and that was when they first arrived. There were so many things about home that Bella missed. Going to school and spending time with her friends were two of the things that Bella longed for. When they first moved into the mountain home Bella had asked James and Renee about attending school.

James responded "I am sorry Bella but attending a school will not be possible since there is not a public school located anywhere near here."

Tears rolled down Bella's cheeks. She felt like her last bit of hope was being stripped away. Although she knew it would probably be hopeless she blurted out "but I have to go to school—it is the law."

James responded "You will be homeschooled Bella. Your Mom will help you with your studies."

Bella cried "Please…can't you send me to a boarding school if there is not a school around here?"

James replied "I am sorry Bella your mother and I would miss you too much. We could never bear to have you so far away." Bella's shoulder's sagged and her head hung in defeat. James walked over to Bella and enclosed her in his icy embrace. He kissed the top of her head and murmured "Don't be sad Bella. We only want to do what is best for our girl."

Having Bella so close to him was almost more temptation than James could handle in that moment. It was the sweetest torture to have that which he wanted so very close yet have to restrain himself. His desire to feast on her succulent blood, to explore her sweet young body with his mouth and hands, to claim her with his cock and bite was overwhelming at times. He made an excuse that he needed to leave and quickly went out the door before the beast within overruled his ability to exercise reason.

James did not notice the irate look that appeared on Renee's face while she watched the interaction between her husband and daughter. Renee was jealous of the attention James had given to Bella and she was infuriated that she would be expected to waste her precious time helping Bella with schoolwork. She gave a bitter laugh at the memory of Sarah telling her that Bella could never be a burden. It was quite clear to Renee that Bella was a ten ton weight pulling her down. She blamed Bella for all the misery that she had ever suffered. Renee has felt like she was finally starting to receive the happiness that she deserved by being married to James. She would be damned if she would let Bella get in the way of what she wanted. Renee decided it was time to let Bella know exactly how things would be run in this household and what her role would be.

"Bella," Renee snapped. "I am very disappointed in the way you just behaved in front of James. You should be down on your knees thanking him for allowing you to live in his home after your disobedience caused Charlie's death. You would be living somewhere in a foster home right now if it was not for his generosity. You will be expected to earn your keep here. We will not baby you and allow you to idle the day away like you did under your father's roof. I will be giving you a list of chores that you will be expected to complete every day. You will also be responsible for cooking meals. As far as your schooling is concerned it will be your responsibility to teach yourself whatever lessons you are provided. Just understand that your responsibilities to this household come before anything else. Furthermore I do not expect to hear you ever question anything that James or I tell you again. Any sign of disrespect will be met with severe punishment. Do you understand what is expected of you Bella?"

A shamefaced Bella responded "Yes."

Renee retorted "Now as punishment for your little outburst this evening you are to go to your room for the rest of the night without dinner. Hopefully you will use that time wisely to reflect on how to be a more obedient and grateful child."

Although Renee had meant for Bella's exile to her room to be a punishment in truth it was a relief for Bella. It provided Bella a means to escape the never-ending disparagement that Renee had for her. It became Bella's mission to try to do whatever she could to keep the peace in the house and to not cause Renee to have reason to become angry with her. Her life settled in to a lonely monotonous pattern of completing Renee's chores and trying to remain unnoticed. She wished that she had the courage to tell Renee that she would much rather live in a foster home than live with her but she knew that talking back to Renee would only make things worse. She had no love left in her heart for her mother.

Bella was really conflicted when it came to her feelings towards James. She was grateful for the things that he provided for her and she genuinely believed that he felt affection for her. Whereas Renee was quite happy to ignore Bella, James was always attentive when he was around. On occasion he would sneak Bella a small gift or a treat. The materials he provided for her schooling were woefully inadequate but Bella was immensely grateful for any materials or books that James provided for her because it was the only escape she had from her isolation and boredom. However, there was something about the way that he looked at her that made her feel uneasy. He always seemed to be watching her. Bella often woke up in the middle of the night and found James in her room staring at her. He claimed that he was just checking to make sure she was ok before he headed to bed for the night. Instead of providing a comforting feeling that he was trying to ensure her safety it made Bella feel anxious. James seemed to enjoy touching Bella. Bella was sure that James meant for his caresses, hugs, and kisses to her cheek and forehead to be comforting. Instead his icy touch left her feeling rather unsettled and chilled to the bone. She endured these displays of affection because she felt that she owed him for all that he did for her. But it was always a relief when he was finished touching her and she was out of his grasp.

The only time that Bella felt any peace or comfort was when she was sleeping and dreamed of the people she had left behind in Forks and La Push. In her dreams she could smell the salty tang of the ocean mixed with the heavenly smells coming from Sarah Black's kitchen. She could see the sparkle in Quil's eye as he planned one of his destined to fail pranks. She could hear Jacob's infectious laughter. She could feel Embry's warmth as they sat side by side watching their friends' antics. She could pretend that her daddy was still with her. Sometimes, while sleeping, Bella dreamed of a stunning silver wolf. There was something about this silver wolf that called to her. She was captivated by the wolf's penetrating gaze. She felt both connected to and possessive of the wolf. In the realm of her dreams Bella's life was happy and fulfilled. It was the dream that one day she would escape her life in Oregon and return to those she loved back home that kept Bella from being totally consumed by the darkness that surrounded her.


	14. Chapter 14

Back in La Push Sam's life was far from boring. In fact, most of the time, Sam felt like he was barely able to keep his head above water. Sam had been right when he told Embry that Jacob was close to phasing. What he had not expected and was not able to prepare for was to have six other Quileute youth join the pack so quickly. Never in the history of the Quileute spirit warriors had there been a pack as large as Sam's pack. He thanked Taha Aki daily for having Jared and Paul around to help in the training and control of so many new wolves. Sam was disturbed at how young some of his new wolves were. Seth, Collin, and Brady were not even 12 years old yet. It seemed so unfair to have their innocence and freedom ripped away from them at such a young age. With younger and younger wolves phasing Sam was afraid that he would have to start monitoring the playground to watch for more signs of children who were about to phase. If he decided that was necessary then he knew that Quil would be just the wolf for the job. After spending the past few weeks around Quil Sam had decided that Quil would fit right in with a group of five year olds. Equally disturbing to the younger age that his pack consisted of was the fact that his pack included the first female to ever phase. Leah Clearwater's transformation to wolf was so shocking that it caused her father to have a heart attack. Thankfully Sue's medical training kept Harry's heart attack from becoming a death sentence. It was enough of a sacrifice for a family to have to deal with having two children who were tribe protectors. The loss of the father as well would have been too cruel.

With countless hours of training, a great deal of patience, and numerous alpha commands given to help control the young volatile wolves, Sam developed the wolves into an efficient and cohesive pack. He was quite pleased to report that despite the number of times that Paul had threatened to string up one of the young wolves that not a single one of them incurred any permanent injuries. The new wolf that clearly stood out above the rest was Jacob. Jacob was destined to be the pack's future Alpha. He seemed to make the transition to wolf quite easily. He possessed excellent instincts and was quickly one of the strongest and best fighting wolves that Sam had. Sam never thought he would see a wolf that could top Paul's fighting skills. Sam was also impressed by the leadership qualities that Jacob exhibited. Jacob had always been a leader among his friends but his ability to make good decisions and set good examples for his pack mates was actually able to get the attention and respect of Jared and Paul as well. In order to help Jacob further develop his skills as a leader and to help set up for the transition for when Jacob would take over the pack one day, Sam appointed Jacob the pack Beta. Another new wolf who surpassed Sam's expectations was Leah. Despite being a female, she was the fastest wolf in the pack and showed great cunning during training exercises. It was no surprise to Sam at all when Jacob and Leah imprinted on each other. These two remarkable wolves seemed destined for each other. Sam was sure that whatever children these two created would turn out to be pretty amazing.

As things became more solidified and routine with the pack, it freed up some time for Sam to focus on fulfilling his promises. The first and most important promise was to make his beloved Emily his wife. He and Emily wed in a small ceremony on the beach at sunset. Sam thought his heart would pound out of his chest when he first saw Emily in front of him in her traditional wedding gown. Sam had never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as his Emily. She absolutely took his breath away. He had never dreamed that someone this loving and perfect could be meant for him. Sam's pack and all the tribe elders were there to share in the celebration of the joining of Sam and Emily. This wedding brought so much hope to the people of La Push.

As he began his new married life with Emily the value of family became even more important for Sam. The promise that he had made to himself to work on his relationship with Embry became Sam's next focus. Sam got to know the bright, quiet, caring boy that was his brother. He respected how mature and responsible Embry was at such a young age. He was impressed with how Embry took care of his mother. Sam and Emily spent time with Embry and his mother Tiffany. He made sure to include Tiffany in as many things as he could so that she would not feel as if he and Emily were trying to replace her in Embry's life. In truth Sam was very grateful to Tiffany Call for the strength and caring she had shown in raising Embry by herself in La Push so that he could grow up in his father's tribe. It would have been so easy for her to have raised Embry as a Makah. If she had done that Sam would have never known that he had a brother. The thought of never knowing Embry made Sam sad. Embry had become such a blessing in his life. In turn Embry blossomed due to his new found relationship with Sam. He felt a sense of belonging now in La Push that he never had before. He was a much more confident person. Having an older brother in his life made Embry so content. They became so close that you would have never known that they had not grown up together. Embry had a room of his own at Sam and Emily's house and split his time between his two homes. Tiffany loved her son and felt such relief over his acceptance by Sam so she never complained about the time Embry spent with his brother.

With so many blessing in his life Sam knew that he should be content with what he had. But a piece of his family was missing and he worried about the sister he had yet to meet. Through Embry Sam learned quite a bit about what Bella was like as a child. He knew that loving her would be as easy as loving Embry was. His heart went out to the man for whom Bella was his whole world—Charlie Swan. The remaining promise that Sam worked on was his promise to Charlie. Sam admired Charlie Swan the man who was for all intents and purposes the father of his sister. He could see what a respected man Charlie was both by the tribal leaders in La Push as well as the people in Forks. Sam made sure to stop by Charlie's at least once a week on the pretext of working on things that needed repaired around Charlie's house. His real purpose was to get to know Charlie better and through Charlie his sister Bella as well. Sam became a lifeline of sorts for Charlie. He helped to keep Charlie going when others around him told him that his continued search for Bella was futile. By allowing Charlie to share his stories and memories of Bella it kept Bella alive in Charlie's heart. But as time moved on Sam could see the toll that Bella's absence was taking on Charlie. The light was dimming from Charlie's eyes and he seemed to be aging quickly. It tore at Sam to see such a kind-hearted good man suffer this way. After his last visit Sam could see that the fight was just about gone from Charlie Swan. It seemed like nothing was working in the search for Bella. That night Sam made a plea to Taha Aki to help him find and bring Bella home to her family.


	15. Chapter 15

Life for Bella was becoming more and more precarious the closer she got to her 16th birthday. James had a harder time hiding his feeling towards Bella. He became rather bold in his demonstrations of affection with her. What was once a gentle pat on the head or arm was now a lingering caress that made Bella's skin crawl. James' hugs had become forceful embraces that left Bella with bruises which served as a road map of where James had touched her and it seemed to take hours for the cold to seep from her bones. Most disturbing amongst the changes were the nightly visits James made to Bella's room while she was sleeping. In the past when Bella would wake and find James watching her he would be watching from the other side of the room and would claim that he was just checking on her before he went to bed. Now when she would awaken to find him watching her she would find him looming over her bed looking at her with an expression that made her uneasy. The last time she had awoken to find him near her bed he was making odd noises. Her sleep fogged brain was shocked to see that James was standing near her bed with his cock in his hand. His head was thrown back as his hand stroked his cock. Bella tightly shut her eyes and wished that the image before her that made her sick to her stomach was just a bad dream. She was terrified what James would do if he knew that she had seen what he was doing. Little did she know that James was very aware that she was awake or that he took delight in the fear that he could smell emanating from her. Sleep which had once been a solace for Bella where she could dream of the people she missed was now something she feared. Her dreams were plagued with the red eyes that were always watching her.

James' change in demeanor was not just noticed by an increasing uncomfortable Bella but by Renee as well. Renee was not at all happy watching what was unfolding before her eyes. Her jealousy and resentment towards Bella grew exponentially. In her mind Bella was trying to steal James away from her just like she had stolen Charlie's affections before. Renee was threatened by Bella's young beautiful body. In an attempt to make Bella's figure less appealing she severely limited the amount of food that Bella was allowed to eat. As a result of being denied food Bella was painfully thin but even that did not dampen the obsession that James seemed to have for her daughter. Renee took out her increasing frustration on Bella verbally and physically. While the cruel words from Renee was not anything that Bella wasn't used to the pinches, kicks, and slaps were new and the impact that they had on Bella went much deeper than the marks they left on her skin. The bruising went all the way down to her soul.

-ftlob-

James was starting to feel liked a caged tiger. Staying in one place for so long was unnatural for him. He craved the excitement of the hunt. His constant hunger for fucking and feeding was exacerbated by his overwhelming desire to make Bella his. His grasp on his self-control was waning and he knew that if he did not remove himself from her presence for a while that he would lose the battle and the demon who craved his mate would devour her. If James was willing to settle for one glorious and satisfying night giving in to his demon would not be a problem but James wanted much more than that with Bella. The Volturi's law concerning the age in which a human had to be to before being turned into a vampire was sacrosanct. To change Bella before her 16th birthday would be a death sentence for both of them.

Needing to escape the torture of constantly denying his desire, James put in a call to Laurent and Vicki. They were quite eager to hear that their friend would be joining them for a jaunt through the Pacific Northwest. James was certain that a few weeks away with them would help him to keep control for the final two months before Bella turned 16. James informed Renee that he would have to leave town for business and expected to be gone for at least two weeks. It took every bit of his control to not strangle the bitch when she pouted about him leaving her for that long. He was so tired of her incessant whining and complaints. It was harder and harder to pretend to care about her. He was quite irate about what a poor job Renee had done at taking care of Bella in the last few months. Renee was living in a fantasy world if she thought he had failed to notice how she treated Bella due to her petty jealousy. The only reason that James allowed it to continue was because he was sure that when the time came this would help to tie Bella to him further since she would be grateful to him for helping her to escape from Renee. The day that he was free from that harpy couldn't come soon enough.

When James heard that Laurent and Vicki had arrived he went in search of Bella to tell her goodbye. He found her curled up with a book in the living room. He couldn't understand her fascination with reading. It seemed like such tedious endeavor. He got caught up in the indulgence of watching her until he heard Vicki's complaints that he needed to hurry up so that they could leave. He walked over to the couch and took the book out of her hands. The sudden action caused Bella to startle.

James chuckled and said "Come give me a hug. I need some love from my favorite girl before I go."

While Bella was relieved to hear that he was leaving she was not really looking forward to hugging him. She did not want to make James angry at her though so she stood up and put her arms around his waist. James was not happy with the distance that she left between them and tightened his grip on her hips to forcefully pull her closer to him. Once she was flush against his body he allowed his hands to leave her hips and to roam up and down her back. Bella's breathing became shallow and quick. Every instinct in her body told her that she needed to run away from him but he had her trapped. She was paralyzed by fear. His hands returned to her hips and he lifted her so that he could place an icy kiss on her lips. Bile rose in Bella's throat as the sheer panic overwhelmed her. James released her with one final squeeze and walked out the door.

Renee had been watching the entire scene from the doorway that led in to the living room from the dining room. When Renee witnessed James kiss Bella she wanted to scream. It was the final indignation that she would suffer for him. She waited until she was certain that James was gone and then she turned her hostility on Bella. She stomped over to where Bella was standing and grabbed her by the shoulders. She shook Bella violently while she screamed obscenities at her. Bella who was still in shock from her encounter with James did nothing to defend herself from her mother's assault. With a strength fueled by her rage, Renee shoved Bella away from her. Bella's tripped over her tangled feet and hit her head on the coffee table on the way down. She lay whimpering on the floor where she landed. Blood was streaming down the side of her face from the cut she received when she hit the table. Renee felt gratified to see the bane of her existence bleeding and broken on the floor below her. Bella deserved so much worse for all the misery she had brought to her life. She did not bother saying a final word to her daughter before turning away to go and pack her belongings. She had wasted enough of her time on a relationship that was never going to pan out the way she had dreamed. A short while later Renee walked out the door and she never looked back.

Bella did not move from the spot on the floor where she landed. She was numb to the pain and unaware of her surroundings. She was trapped in her mind and the fear it held within. Eventually she must have dozed off because she found herself in the most bizarre dream. A stunning gigantic wolf suddenly appeared before her. Somehow the wolf was able to speak to her although it seemed more like he was able to speak to her mind. He told her that his name was Taha Aki and that he had come to take her home to La Push. He told her that she was in too much danger to remain where she was any longer. He lay down in front of Bella and told her to climb on his back. Bella complied with his request and scrambled up his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his fur when he took off into the night.


	16. Chapter 16

The passage of time is supposed to have very little meaning for immortal creatures. Therefore, in theory, two weeks away from Bella should have been easy for James to handle. In reality, however, James was feeling the need to see Bella after being away for only three days. This compulsion was so distracting that it was ruining Vicki and Laurent's trip with James. Vicki and Laurent had always been able to count on James to be the life of the party. He was usually the instigator of all sorts of delicious wicked games. James was anything but fun on this trip and after three days of putting up with his moodiness Vicki decided that the only way to get James back in the game would be to make a brief detour by the house so that he could see Bella.

They arrived at the house a little after midnight. James was surprised to see that Renee's car was missing from the driveway. His panic grew when he failed to detect any heartbeats inside the home. James practically ripped the front door off of its hinges in his hast to get inside. Vicki and Laurent followed him inside to search the house hoping to find a clue as to where the women had gone. What James found inside the house only served to make him more anxious. In the living room it looked like there had been some kind of struggle. James could smell the scent of some type of animal mixed with the smell of Bella's blood. James found dried blood on the corner of the coffee table and on the carpet near the table. He wondered if Renee had taken Bella to the hospital because she had injured herself. It would explain why they were missing at this time of night but not the strange animal smell that was present in the living room. While James was checking things out in the living room Laurent and Vicki were busy searching the rest of the house. Vicki found a letter addressed to James in the master bedroom. James wasted no time tearing into the letter that Renee had left him. The letter said:

_James,_

_You must think I am blind to not see what is happening between you and Bella. I don't understand your sick fascination with an ordinary little girl when you had me. Your betrayal hurts me. I was devoted to you. I have wasted enough of my time and energy on you. If you want Bella so much then you are welcome to her. I will be happy to never have to look at that brat again. She has never been anything but a thorn in my side and I hope that she makes you as miserable as she has made me. She is your problem now so don't come looking for me. I do not want her back. Renee_

James let loose a ferocious roar. If Renee did not take Bella with her then where the hell was she? He could not lose Bella now when he was so close to his reward. James, Vicki, and Laurent decided to split up to find out what happened to Bella. James was not completely convinced that Renee had not taken Bella with her just to spite him. His rage swirled through him like a dangerous storm ready to be unleashed on Renee as soon as he found her. Even if Bella was not with Renee he had a debt to settle with her so he decided to focus on finding Renee. Laurent was tasked with following the scent of the animal that had been in the house to see if it led to any clues as to where Bella had gone. Vicki was to remain in the house in case Bella was still in the area and returned to the house.

James decided to head into Portland since it was the closest major city. He knew that Renee did not have any cash on her and would most likely have to use the credit cards in her possession. It should be relatively easy for James to track her down once he was able to access her credit card usage. It did not take long for James to reach Portland and for him to find an internet café. He was quite pleased to find that Renee had indeed used her credit card to pay for a room at a hotel and to add to his good fortune was the fact that the hotel she was staying at was in Portland. James quickly found the hotel and charmed the front desk clerk into giving him a key to his wife's room so that he could surprise her. Renee was not in the room at the time of his arrival. He could smell her scent but was disappointed not to find Bella's scent in the room as well. He settled in the room and waited for Renee. As he waited he imagined all the ways he could torture her when she returned.

James did not have to wait too long before he heard the sound of the key card unlocking the door. When he heard the door click shut he said "Hello sweetheart. Did you miss me?"

With a disgusted snort Renee replied "About as much as a migraine headache. What are you doing here anyways James? Didn't you get my farewell message?"

James smirked "Oh I got your message alright. I thought you deserved a personal response so here I am to deliver it."

Renee simpered in return "How very thoughtful of you." She took a few moments to look around the room and when she did not see any evidence of Bella she said venomously, "I don't see your little dolly here with you. What's the matter did you get bored with your toy already?"

James was unable to contain the growl that erupted from his throat at her snappish retort. His eyes turned black and his face looked feral. For the first time since she had met James Renee felt uncomfortable in his presence. His strange behavior was making her fear for her safety. Renee's heart began to pound. She started backing away from James towards the door of the hotel room. In the blink of an eye James was suddenly blocking the door and her only means of escape. He sneered "planning on going somewhere darling?"

In an unsteady voice Renee replied "You already got what you want. You have Bella. What do you want from me?"

James answered "Do you see Bella here with me? I left Bella at home with you. You were supposed to be taking care of her. But I return home to find her blood on the living room floor and the house empty. What did you do to Bella Renee? Where is she?"

Renee spat back "You can't blame me for the fact that Bella is a walking disaster. That girl is always hurting herself. As to where she is I wouldn't have a clue. She was still at home when I left earlier. If she was not there when you arrived then she must have decided to leave as well. So there really isn't anything else that I can help you with."

James countered "Oh I don't think that is true Renee. I can still think of ways that you can help me. Let's start with you telling me where Bella would have gone if she left you? Does she have any other relatives that she would go to?"

Renee was damned if she would do anything to make James life easier. She decided to send him on a wild goose chase to pay him back for his disloyalty. She responded "The only family that we have is my parents in Jacksonville, Florida. If she does not head there than I have no idea where else she would go. You have your answer and I have already told you that our relationship is over. I want nothing further to do with you. So if you will excuse me I have other places that I would rather be."

James chuckled "I have been forced to put up with your annoying voice, whiney demands, and desperate clinginess for more than three years. I put up with it because I had hoped that you could be a good mother and take care of our girl until she was old enough to not need you any longer. But you failed in the only thing that I asked from you. So the fact that you are done with me does not bother me in the least. However, in this dissolution of our marriage, I deserve compensation for my pain and suffering." His face took on a menacing expression as he stalked closer to Renee. He said in a chilling voice "I think it is only fair for you to feel the pain that you have given me."

In the last seconds of her life Renee became aware of what evil looked like. She made an attempt to scream and run away from James but he had ripped her head off mere seconds after the high pitched shriek left her mouth. He had wanted to savor her suffering and torture her slowly but his temper had gotten the better of him so he quickly tore Renee to pieces and left the room splattered in her blood.

Renee's severed head was found by a hotel employee who had been sent to the room to investigate the screaming that had come from within. The police arrived shortly thereafter and roped off the crime scene. One of the crime scene investigators recognized Renee's name. He typed her name into the data base and found that she was wanted in the kidnapping of the minor child Isabelle Swan. He called the Fork's Police Department to report Renee's death. Charlie was the one to take the detective's phone call. He was sick to his stomach after he heard of Renee's gruesome death. He fearfully asked if there was any sign of Bella at the crime scene. His relief at hearing that there was no other body found in the room was immense. However, he wondered where Bella was if she was not with Renee. He decided to make the trip to Portland to see if he could find any clues that would lead him to where Bella was being kept. He stopped by La Push to see Billy to let him know what had happened to Renee and that he was heading to Portland. Billy offered to go with Charlie to support him and help with the search for Bella. Charlie would not hear of it because Sarah Black was out of town to visit her daughter Rebecca who was expecting to deliver a baby any day. Charlie did not want Billy to leave Jacob in La Push by himself. Billy tried to argue with his friend that Jacob was mature enough to handle being on his own for a few days but Charlie was stubborn and refused his offer. Billy hugged Charlie and wished him a speedy and successful trip. He hoped that Charlie would find in Portland the clues that he needed to bring their girl home.


End file.
